Roughage mill



March 14, 1939. .1. HOLLAND-LETZ HOUGHAGE MILL Filed June 15, 1936 dBhwHOZZQnd/J Patented Mar. 14, 1939 ROUGHAGE MILL John Holland-Letz, Crown Point, lind., assignor to The Lctz Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Indiana.

Application June 15, 1936, Serial No. 85,269

16 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to roughage mills, but more particularly to novel and improved means whereby the same may be adjusted so as to secure a variety of different types of forage as well as the separation of a variety of different grades of grains and seeds passing through the roughage mill.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved roughage mill having a separating attachment associated therewith whereby varying degrees of effective separation of the grains or seeds of different types may be secured by a series of adjustments. These adjustments render the separating mechanism more effective for separating light or heavy grain by regulating the air pressure or suction on the opposite ends of the separator casing. The adjustments may be regulated so as to render the separator inefiective to perform its normal function and merely serve as a conduit for conveying the material to the grinding mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved roughage mill having a separating attachment associated therewith so that the grain or seed may be separated from the roughage after which the seed or grain may be ground to varying degrees of finenessand later mixed with the roughage or the seed or grain may be separated and directed into bags while the roughage can be separately stored.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved separating mechanism adapted to cooperate in connection with a roughage mill in which certain adjustments may be made whereby a certain portion of the separated grain or seed may be ground and subsequently mixed with the unground roughage while the remaining portion of the seed or grain may be separately sacked.

These and other objects are accomplished by providing a construction and an arrangement of the various parts in the manner hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of a roughage mill, having my improvements embodied therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view partly in cross section of the separating mechanism showing the valve for controlling the air draft inthe lower end thereof in which the valve is in its elevated or opened position;

Fig. 3 is a similar fragmentary cross sectional view with the valve seated on its valve seat and the tube positioned in the upper end of the separating cylinder for rendering the separating action ineffective to produce any separation;

Fig. 4 is a transverse fragmentary cross sectional view extending through the hopper show- 5 ing the pivoted valve for controlling the direction of the separated grain either to the baggingmechanism or to the grinding mechanism of the roughage mill;

Fig; 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side eleva- 10 tional view of the conduit which conveys the roughage from the separating cylinder to the mixing fan showing the manner in which three ports in the side wall thereof may be covered or uncovered by a sliding sleeve; 15

Fig. 6 is a similar side elevational view of the conduit shown in Fig. 5 with the port holes uncovered; and

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of the mixing fan mechanism.

In illustrating one form of my invention I have shown the same in connection with a roughage mill of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 451,101, filed May 9, 1930, which became Patent No. 2,072,920, on March 9, 1937, and Serial No. 538,0l4, filed May 18, 1931 which became Patent No. 2,051,489, on August 18, 1936. The roughage mill disclosed in the drawing comprises briefly, a main frame generally indicated by the reference character lil mounted on supporting legs H which in turn, is secured to a base frame l2. Mounted in the main frame H3 is a main drive shaft it which is provided with the usual driving pulley M and idler pulley l5. Located within the main frame 5 and inside a housing i6 and secured to the shaft I3 is a cutter head it, Mounted on the other end of the shaft 53 and operatively driven thereby is a grinding mechanism which is located within a housing generally indicated by the reference character ll. Mounted above the shaft 53 adjacent the grinding mechanism within the housing H is a hopper l8. Secured to the shaft l3 between the cutter head l6 and the hopper I8 is an elevating fan it! for elevating the material through the conduit leading to the separating cylinder hereinafter described. The material is conveyed from the cutter head by a conveyor screw 20 positioned below and operatively driven from the main drive shaft E3 in any well known manner. The construction of the parts hereinabove described are essentially like and operate and function identically with the construction disclosed in my above mentioned co-pending application, Serial No. 538,044 and for that reason it is believed a more detailed description of this construction is not necessary.

One of the essential features of the present invention includes a series of novel adjustments which may be made in connection with the separating attachment so as to render the same operative to secure not only a variety of different types of separations of grain and seed, but also a variety of preparations of forage for cattle. This mechanism includes a cylindrical separator generally indicated by the reference character 2| which is adapted to be mounted over one end of the hopper i8 and extend vertically upward therefrom as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Communicating with a fan casing which embraces the fan i9 is a vertically extending conduit 22 which in turn has its upper end communicating with an elbow 23. The upper end of the elbow 23 communicates with the upper end of the separating cylinder 2! as shown at 2&- so as to discharge the material therefrom substantially tangential to the inner surface of the cylinder. The upper end of the cylindrical separator 22! is provided with a conically shaped extension 25 which in turn is connected by a series of curved elbow sections 26 to a downwardly extending straight conduit section 27. The straight conduit section is provided in its periphery at one point thereof with three longitudinally extending openings or ports as shown at 28. Adapted to partially cover or entirely cover these openings 28 is a sliding sleeve 29 which completely embraces the conduit 2?. The lower end of the conduit 2'! is connected by a series of elbow sections 39 to an inclined conduit 3! which has its lower end connected to and communicating with the axial center of one side of a fan housing 32. Mounted in the fan housing 32 is a fan 33 secured to a shaft 34, which in turn, is journaled in suitable bearings in the main frame structure of the mill. Extending tangentially from the fan housing 32 and substantially upward therefrom is a discharge conduit 35 through which the prepared forage or roughage may be conveyed to a suitable receptacle or elevated to a receptacle or other convenient storage space. Communicating with the inclined conduit 3| is a conduit 36, which in turn, has its upper end communicating with the grinding mechanism for conveying the ground material to the mixing and elevating fan 33.

In order to regulate the air pressure at the lower end. of the separating cylinder 2| so as to more eifectively control the separation of heavy or light grain or seed, I have provided an adjustable valve, generally indicated by the reference character 31, which is in the form of a cylindrical member having its intermediate portion slidably mounted in a sleeve 38. The upper and lower ends of this valve 3? is provided with conically shaped portions es and 33. The lower portion 9 is adapted to be seated on the upper end 4i of a curved'pipe or conduit 42 which has its lower end connected to and communicating with the fan casing 32 at a'point as shown at $3 in Figs. 1 and '7 of the. drawing. The sleeve 38 is supported in position by oppositely disposed offset brackets which have their upper ends attached to the sleeve 33 and their lower ends attached to the upper end of the conduit or pipe 32 as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing. The upper end of the valve 37 is connected by means of a rod G5 which in turn, is slidably mounted in a bracket 46 which has its opposite ends, as shown at ll, attached to the inner cylindrical wall of the separating cylinder H at a point substantially in the center thereof. Pivoted to the upper end of the rod as shown at G8 is an adjusting rod d9 which extends through an opening 58 in the side wall of the separating cylinder 2| for vertically adjusting the valve Bl with respect to its seat 4!. The lower end of this adjusting rod is provided with a plurality of notches, as shown at 5! which are adapted to be engaged by a spring latch 52 secured to the outside of the cylinder for lock ing and holding the Valve 31 in various positions with respect to its seat 4!. Located within the separating cylinder 2! and secured to the inner side walls thereof adjacent the valve 31 is a conically shaped skirt or sleeve 53 for conveying the material dropping through the cylindrical separator toward the axial center thereof where a blast of air coming through the conduit d2 can more effectively secure a separation of the material passing through the separating cylinder. Communicating with the fan housing 32 adjacent the conduit $2 is a conduit d2 which has its upper end as shown at 43 connected to and communicating with the conduit 22 for assisting in conveying and elevating the roughage being conveyed through the conduit 22,

Positioned directly below the separating cylinder 2i and removably mounted in suitable guides in a hopper it are converging gates 54 and 55 located on the opposite sides thereof.

'Pivotally mounted as shown at 55 in the hopper i8 is a valve 5'! which is adapted to be controlled by a handlefiS extending outside of one side of the hopper is as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawing. This valve may be positioned in its full or dotted line position as shown in Fig. 4 or in a position between the two positions shown in this figure. When positioned in its dotted line position the material, that is, the seed or grain, will be directed into a discharging or bagging spout generally indicated by the reference character 59 which is attached to one side of the hopper iii below the separating cylinder 2!. The discharging or bagging spout 59 in this instance is of the conventional form and is likewise provided with a pivoted valve as shown at 60 which in turn, is operable by a lever 6! for directing the grain into one or the other of two bags attached to the spout in the manner well understood in the art. Positioned on one side of the hopper and adapted to convey the material in a direction toward the valve E is a supplemental wall 62 which is provided with an aperture 63 through which the conduit 42 extends. The side wall of the hopper is likewise provided with an aperture 64 through which a portion of the conduit 452 extends.

Summarizing the operation of my improved roughage mill, let us assume that the operator is desirous of separating heavy grain or seed such as corn, sorghum, wheat, beans or peas, the valve 31 is raised to its uppermost position or the position shown in the full line in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This adjustment is made by operating the rod 59 which is locked in position by the spring latch 52. At the same time, the adjustable sleeve 25 is positioned or adjusted to the full line position as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing where it completely covers the openings 28 in the conduit 27. If the operator is desirous of bagging the separated grain or seed the bags are placed on the bagging chute 59 and the gates 54 and 55 are inserted while the valve 51 is adjusted to its dotted line position as shown in Fig. 4. When the parts just mentioned are so adjusted the material is placed on the endless conveyor in the manner well understood in the art, where it is conveyed to the cutter head I6, but intoroughage and conveyed by the conveyor screw 20 from where it is elevated by the elevating fan 19 through the conduit 22 and elbow 2-3. The roughage is discharged from the elbow tangentially to the inner wall of the cylindrical separator 2| adjacent the upper end thereof. With the parts adjusted as previously described, a maximum suction is inserted on the top of the separator cylinder and the maximum air pressure created by the fan 33 through the conduit 42 below the valve 31, materially assisting in the separation of the lighter material from the heavier material and permitting the seeds to drop by gravity against the gates 54 and 55 and the valve 51 into the bagging chute 59 for bagging purposes. While the separated roughage is withdrawn through the elbow sections 26 connected to the upper end of the separator cylinder 2| down through the conduit 21 into the mixing fan housing 32. If the operator is desirous of grinding the seed or grain the gate 54' may be removed and the valve 51 adjusted to its full line position as shown in Fig. 4. When this adjustment is made the grain, instead of being conveyed into the bagging chute 5'! is then discharged into the grinding mechanism I! where it is ground into the desired fineness and is discharged into the conduit 3| where it is conveyed with the unground roughage into the mixing fan 33 and thence elevated through the conduit 35 into a suitable receptacle or other storage place.

Should the operator desire to chop and grind all of the roughage with the grain or without the grain after separation, the separating cylinders 2| may be adjusted so as to merely form a conduit for conveying the roughage with the grain to the grinding mechanism. In order to accomplish this, the valve 31 with its conically shaped lower valve portion 40 is then seated on the valve seat 4| by withdrawing the rod 49 to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. At the same: time, a sleeve 52' having an enlarged collar 53 is inserted in the upper end of the separator cylinder and the sleeve 29 is adjusted or raised so as to uncover the longitudinal openings 28 in the conduit 21. By making these adjustments obviously the suction created at the top end of the separator cylinder ceases and the air pressure at the lower end of the separator cylinder is shut off by the valve 31 so that when the material is discharged through the elbow 23 the separating cylinder becomes merely a conduit for conveying the material to the grinding mechanism I! where all the material is ground including the cutroughage, seed or grain and subsequently passed into the conduit 3! tothe elevating fan 33 from where it is elevated into a suitable receptacle or storage place.

When it is desired to separate light grain such as sheaf oats, the device may be adjusted to grind a part of the grain, and sack the balance, or to separate all of the grain from. the stalk. Obviously to separate lighter grain, the maximum suction or air pressure is not required soin order to reduce the suction created at the upper end of the separator cylinder 2|, the sleeve 29 may be adjusted soas to only partially uncover the longitudinal openings 28 in the conduit 21 in the manner shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Then too,

passing therethrough the valve 31 may be adjusted with respect to its seat or to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing for regulating the air pressure on the lower end of the separating cylinder.

When thus adjusted the lighter seed will be separated from the roughage and either conveyed to the grinding mechanism or to the bagging spout 59 where it may be sacked for future use. If the operator desires togrind only a portion of the seed or grain separated and sack the balance, the valve 51 may be adjusted to an intermediate position or a position between the two positions shown in Fig. 4. Obviously a. part of the seed or grain will pass through the bagging spout 59 to the sacks while the balance of the seed or grain will be conveyed to the grinding mechanism and subsequently mixed with the unground roughage in the manner hereinbefore described.

While in the above specification I have described one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will of course be understood that the same is capable of modification and that modification may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a roughage mill including a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting material passing therethrough into roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted on said frame, a separating mechanism mounted in said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a discharging spout. attached to said hopper, and means for diverting the seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or said discharging spout.

2. In combination with a roughage mill including a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting material passing therethrough into roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted on said frame, a separating mechanism mounted in said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a discharging spout attached to said hopper, and a valve mounted in said hopper for diverting the seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or said discharging spout.

3. In combination with a roughage mill including a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting material passing therethrcugh into roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted on said frame, a separating mechanism mounted in said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a discharging spout attached to said hopper, and means mounted in said hopper for diverting a portion of the seed or grain into said grinding mechanism and the remaining of said grain or seed into said discharging spout.

i. A roughage mill comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, means mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame, and means for diverting the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

5. A roughage mill comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for cutting the material into roughage, means mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame, and a valve for diverting the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

6. A roughage mill comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, means mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mecha' nism mounted on said frame, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame, and a pivoted valve for diverting the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

'7. A roughage mill comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, means mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame, and a valve located below said separating mechanism for diverting the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

8. A roughage mill comprising a frame, means mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, means mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain-from said roughage, a grinding mecha nism mounted on said frame, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame, means for diverting the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism, and means for adjusting said last named means whereby a portion of said separated seed or grain may be diverted into said grinding mechanism and the remaining portion diverted into said bagging mechanism.

9. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, a separating attachment mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame adjacent said separating attachment, a fan mounted on said frame and operatively connected to the opposite ends of said separating attachment for separating the material passing therethrough, a valve for controlling the air pressure at one end of said attachment, bagging mechanism mounted on said frame below said attachment, and a valve for directing the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

10. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting' the material passing therethrough into roughage, a separating attachment mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame adjacent said separating attachment, a fan mounted on said frame and operatively connected to the opposite ends of said separating attachment for separating the material passing therethrough, a valve for controlling the air pressure at one end of said attachment, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame below said attachment, and a valve located below said attachment for directing the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism.

11. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for outting the material passing therethrough into roughage, a separating attachment mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame adjacent said separating attachment, a fan mounted on said frame and operatively connected to the opposite ends of said separating attachment for separating the material passing therethrough, a valve for controlling the air pressure at one end of said attachment, a bagging mechanism mounted on said frame below said attachment, a valve for directing the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism, and means for adjusting said separating attachment whereby all of the roughage may be conveyed through said attachment to said grinding mechanism.

12. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into' roughage, a separating attachment mounted on said frame for separating the seed or grain from said roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame adjacent said separating attachment, a fan mounted'on said frame and operatively connected to the opposite ends of said separating attachment for separating the material passing therethrough, a valve for controlling the air pressure at one end of said attachment, a

bagging mechanism mounted on said frame below said attachment, a valve for directing the separated seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging mechanism, and means for controlling the air pressure in said separating said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a fan mounted on said frame and communicating with the opposite ends of said separator for effecting the separation of the seed and grain from the roughage, means for regulating the air pressure in said separator, a bagging spout attached to and adapted to communicate with said hopper, and a valve mounted in said hopper for diverting the seed and grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging spout.

14. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted on said frame adjacent said grinding mechanism, a separator mounted on said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a fan mounted on said frame and communicating with the opposite ends of said separator for effecting the separation of the seed and grain from the roughage, means for regulating the air pressure in said separator, a bagging spout'attached to and adapted to communicate with said hopper, and a manually controlled valve mounted insaid hopper and operable from the outside of said hopper for diverting the seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging spout.

15. A roughage mill comprising a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough into roughage, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted on said frame adjacent said grinding mechanism, a separator mounted on said hopper for separating seed or grain from said roughage, a fan mounted on said frame and communicating With the opposite ends of said separator for effecting the separation of the seed and grain from the roughage, means for regulating the air pressure in said separator, a bagging spout attached to and adapted to communicate with said hopper, convering gates mounted in said hopper, and a valve mounted in said hopper and adapted to cooperate with said gates for diverting said seed or grain into said grinding mechanism or into said bagging spout,

16. The combination with roughage mill including a frame, a cutting mechanism mounted on said frame for cutting the material passing therethrough, a grinding mechanism mounted on said frame, a hopper mounted over said grinding mechanism, a separating mechanism positioned over said hopper for separating the heavier material from the lighter material and permitting the heavier material to pass through said grinding mechanism, a discharge spout communicating with said hopper, and means mounted in said hopper for diverting all or a part of the material from said mechanism through said discharge spout.

JOHN HOLLAND-LETZ. 

